Minimum Size of Water Utility, Asset Management is Applicable

I don’t think there is a level at which it’s too low to do asset management. – Heather Himmelberger

Towards the end of the webinar, a participant asked what is the minimum size of water system asset management is useful for.

Heather answered that one person is the minimum size.

She explained there is no size too small because she actually uses asset management thinking for her household and her car.

She added that because it’s so embedded in her, she almost can’t think without asset management. So I don’t actually think there is a level too small, Heather concluded.

Heather further says:

I think you can do it in everyday thinking. Most of us have personal budgets that are never-ending. We have finite amount of money.

And if you choose to buy a car, what does that mean- you can’t buy? Or if you choose to fix your house up, or move, or something, how does that impact other things in your life?

So it’s no different than like a very, very small water utility, which has to make those same decisions. If I choose to do more replacement of this, I can’t do some of that.

It’s just really decision-making and thought process used. I don’t think there is a level at which it’s too low to do asset management.

Ross adds:

Yes, just keep it at the right scale. And you don’t need a 500-page document if you’ve got a 10- household water utility.

Heather concludes:

And you don’t need a 10-million-dollar program either. If you’ve got five assets, a piece of paper might do or an Excel spreadsheet.

As long as you lower down your sophistication level, anybody, any size system can do it. And I think you’d be hard-pressed to find anybody that would not benefit from using asset management at any level.